MMA News

Author: Kyle Dimond

  • Merab Dvalishvili Sparks ‘Shark Attack’ Comparisons With Gruesome Images Of Pre-UFC 311 Injury

    Merab Dvalishvili Sparks ‘Shark Attack’ Comparisons With Gruesome Images Of Pre-UFC 311 Injury

    Merab Dvalishvili produced a remarkable performance in the co-main event of UFC 311 to remain the bantamweight champion. Heading into his first title defense, there were some questions surrounding his decision to take this fight against the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov for multiple reasons.

    Not only did the champion appear to be emotional after admitting to taking the fight on six weeks notice because he felt disrespected by his challenger, there was talk ahead of Saturday night about both men coming in at less than 100%. This only makes Dvalishvili’s latest win even more impressive after he detailed some of the struggles he was battling to even make it to the Octagon, let alone the incredible tenacity that he showed inside the Octagon.

    A leg injury in particular seriously threated the fight which considering what happened with Arman Tsarukyan having to withdraw from his rematch with Islam Makhachev due to a back injury, would have been a disaster for the UFC. The Georgian was at serious risk of being pulled from the fight but somehow, it healed enough for him to get the all clear and “The Machine” was never going to let some cuts and bruises stop him from doing what he does best, no matter how bad they were, especially after Nurmagomedov mentioned the champion pulling out to avoid fighting him.

    Dvalishvili did detail these injuries in his post-fight press conference having been cut off by Joe Rogan in his post-fight interview but videos that he has since posted on social media show the true extent of the damage that was done to his leg. The following videos are certainly not for the squeamish but to an iron-willed champion like Dvalishvili, they are but a flesh wound.

    Whilst Dvalishvili seems relatively unfazed by the injury in the video where he gives his initial reaction, he is certainly in the minority in that regard.

    “It looks like he fought after a shark attack.”

    “Sheesh. Merab truly is a machine.”

    “Someone help the shark”

  • Umar Nurmagomedov Doubles Down On Belief He Beat Merab Dvalishvili At UFC 311

    Umar Nurmagomedov Doubles Down On Belief He Beat Merab Dvalishvili At UFC 311

    In the co-main event of UFC 311, Umar Nurmagomedov suffered the very first defeat of his career. For the first time in 19 fights, his opponent was the better man on the night following an instant classic title bout against Merab Dvalishvili at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

    Nurmagomedov may have failed to capture the bantamweight belt at the first time of asking but he still gave a good account of himself when facing the current best in the world. He won the first two rounds on two of the scorecards and it was only until the pace and output of Dvalishvili started to really become a factor that the fight started to slip away from his control.

    There’s no doubt that he will come back better from this and whilst he has repeatedly said that he isn’t making excuses for the defeat, the 29-year old did reveal in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan that he thought he won the fight despite seemingly breaking his hand in the first round which limited him over the five rounds.

    Nurmagomedov has since doubled down on both of these points via his own social media platforms by putting out a short statement to reflect on the fight. Whilst he is now focused on recovering from his injuries and getting back to it, he believes that we should have heard “And New” leave Bruce Buffer’s mouth on Saturday night.

    “No excuses. InshaAllah I will become a champion. Nothing else matters. Praise be to Allah in any situation. And I don’t think I lost this fight. Even if the whole world convinces me otherwise. I’ll deal with my injuries and get back into action. InshaAllah.”

  • Islam Makhachev Gets Sent A Reminder: ‘The Lightweight Champion Is Called Charles Oliveira!’

    Islam Makhachev Gets Sent A Reminder: ‘The Lightweight Champion Is Called Charles Oliveira!’

    Islam Makhachev broke the record for consecutive title defenses in the lightweight division this past weekend at UFC 311. The pound-for-pound best fighter in the sport continued living up to his approach of not caring who is put in front of him by accepting to fight Renato Moicano on just one days notice before submitting him in the first round.

    Makhachev’s dominant streak has many believing that the biggest test for him will be when he moves up a weight class, rather than anyone that currently competes at 155-pounds. There has already been talk of what could possibly be next for the champion and the options at lightweight are fairly limited right now.

    Alongside rebooking the rematch with Arman Tsarukyan or potentially facing the winner of Justin Gaethje and Dan Hooker, there is one name that appears to have been excluded from conversations despite him being one of the most popular fighters on the roster. Charles Oliveira may have been beaten by Makhachev once in the past but the two men were scheduled to meet in a rematch that never happened.

    After bouncing back from his loss at UFC 280, he was set to challenge the champion at UFC 294 but “Do Bronx” withdrew from the fight due to a cut that he suffered in his final training session. The former champ recently put on a dominant performance against Michael Chandler in November to return to the win column following a defeat to Tsarukyan at UFC 300.

    Oliveira was in attendance at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on Saturday night where in a video posted on social media by the UFC, he called for his long awaited rematch with Makhachev.

    “It was a great fight, he’s the champion. He did what he had to do but I’m next and he knows that. The lightweight champion is called Charles Oliveira, I’m ready for that.”

  • Renato Moicano Reveals Plan For Octagon Interview With Joe Rogan Had He Won At UFC 311

    Renato Moicano Reveals Plan For Octagon Interview With Joe Rogan Had He Won At UFC 311

    Renato Moicano faced a huge uphill battle in the main event of UFC 311. Facing the pound-for-pound number one fighter in the sport today with a full camp would’ve been the toughest test of his career to date, let alone doing it with just one day to prepare.

    “Money” was unable to pull off one of the biggest upsets of all time after replacing Arman Tsarukyan to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title this past Saturday night. The Brazilian has become a fan favorite in recent times, partly down to his winning streak and partly because of his entertaining and unpredictable personality.

    Moicano’s post-fight interviews have become must-watch as he always has a lot to say and you never know where it’s going to go. Following his submission loss at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, a dejected contender spoke about what this setback means to him during his time on the mic.

    “That wasn’t one day notice, that was a life’s notice. I’m very sad, I spent my whole life for this moment and I tap in the first round. Islam was much better than I today and I had so much to say but that’s not the right time. I’m not done and I don’t know if I will ever get a chance like that again but I will try my best to do.”

    As Moicano told Joe Rogan inside the Octagon, a post-fight speech in victory would’ve been vastly different and he’d already given some thought into how he would use his time on the mic. He posted on X after the fight to state his plans for what his first interview as a UFC champion would’ve looked like.

    Rather than basking in the moment of an incredibly emotional win, in true Moicano fashion, he had a book recommendation and a point to get across.

    “I wish I had won yesterday, grabbed the microphone, and told you to read Murray Rothbard’s What Has Government Done to Our Money! Why money should be a commodity with a floating price dictated by the free market! Why central banks are institutions that, instead of helping the economy, enslave new generations through debt! The control of interest rates and quantitative easing are driving global economies toward collapse!

    “This book explains how government took over gold and turned it into this cursed fiat currency! And how governments have been doing this long before they were democratic—scraping gold coins, counterfeiting! The first step was to seize real money and then control interest rates! We all know how the story ends: the U.S. government with an almost unpayable debt! History is written by the winners! Yesterday I lost and stayed silent. But I will return to say what needs to be said! Last year, I fought for money; from now on, I fight for freedom! Study Bitcoin!”

  • Paddy Pimblett Responds To Backlash For Holding Rival In Choke During Gym Spar: ‘He Agreed To No Tapping!’

    Paddy Pimblett Responds To Backlash For Holding Rival In Choke During Gym Spar: ‘He Agreed To No Tapping!’

    Paddy Pimblett is no stranger to engaging in online beefs with his fellow fighters but his latest social media feud ended up being settled on the mats. “The Baddy” had been going back and forth with Irish/Ghanaian athlete Denis Frimpong before both men agreed to put on some gloves and shin guards to handle their differences.

    Frimpong is a 30-year old fighter who previously competed in European promotion OKTAGON before parting ways with the promotion last year but he has recently re-signed with them. He trains out of Manchester Top Team alongside the likes of Lerone Murphy and Lewis McGrillen with the gym recently opening the doors to Liverpool’s Pimblett this past Saturday.

    With fighters from the gym sat around the edges of the mat, Pimblett and Frimpong engaged in some striking which mostly consisted of leg kicks, which Pimblett appeared to get the better of. After Frimpong threw a big right hook, “The Baddy” dipped underneath and secured a body lock takedown to put the fight in his element.

    From here, the 30-year old took his opponent’s back and secured a rear-naked choke which quickly led to Frimpong tapping. Despite multiple taps, Pimblett did not let go of the choke which led to several spectators pulling him off of “The Menace” as tensions flared between the Manchester hosts and their visitors.

    Pimblett has since responded to some of the criticism he has faced after videos of the fight were posted on social media. He posted a statement to say that people were judging him for not letting go the submission despite not knowing about an agreement between the two fighters that had taken place before they started exchanging blows.

    “He agreed to no tapping beforehand. All you butthurt idiots who don’t know what your talking about just pipe down don’t talk when you don’t know the context. Not me fault he tapped like a… when he was saying was going to KO me on the feet and got outstruck.”

  • ‘Dagestan, You Have Been Merab’d’ – Fans React As Merab Dvalishvili Outlasts Umar Nurmagomedov In Grueling UFC 311 Battle

    ‘Dagestan, You Have Been Merab’d’ – Fans React As Merab Dvalishvili Outlasts Umar Nurmagomedov In Grueling UFC 311 Battle

    In the co-main event at UFC 311, Merab Dvalishvili successfully defended the bantamweight title against Umar Nurmagomedov in an instant classic title fight.

    The matchup more than lived up to the hype, with the pair delivering an incredibly high-level bout that was fought at an unbelievable pace.

    Nurmagomedov started the fight well with his superior striking and remarkable takedown defense allowing him to dictate the fight and stop the champion from implementing his relentless approach. But as the fight went on, the tide started to turn.

    Dvalishvili won the final three rounds to retain the title and become the first man to defeat his Dagestani challenger.

    The gas tank of “The Machine” was once again the thing that separated him from his opponent, with a crazy amount of takedown attempts that didn’t seem to take any energy away from him. Nurmagomedov may have lost his undefeated record, but despite tiring in the second half of the fight, he proved himself to be an incredible adversary for the reigning titleholder.

    Fight fans reacted on social media to the first title fight of 2025, which set an extremely high bar for the rest of the year.

    https://twitter.com/bushnak313/status/1880852431350992943

  • Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev Official For UFC 313 On March 8

    Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev Official For UFC 313 On March 8

    At UFC 313, Alex Pereira will defend his light heavyweight title against the number one contender at 205 pounds, Magomed Ankalaev.

    This long-awaited clash will headline the promotion’s return to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on March 8 as the 2025 calendar continues to take shape.

    The fight was made official during the UFC 311 broadcast and is certainly one that fight fans have been eagerly anticipating.

    Many believe that Ankalaev has long deserved another shot at the title following his unbeaten streak in the division. He solidified his spot by beating Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 308 last October to make him undeniable.

    In order to secure UFC gold for the first time, he will need to end the incredible winning streak of “Poatan,” who successfully defended the title three times last year. Since moving up to light heavyweight, Pereira has won five fights in a row but many believe that Ankalaev will be his toughest test to date.

    Jon Anik also confirmed a five-round co-main event for March 8 between fan favorites Justin Gaethje and Dan Hooker at lightweight.

  • Justin Gaethje vs. Dan Hooker Announced As UFC 313 Co-Main Event In Las Vegas

    Justin Gaethje vs. Dan Hooker Announced As UFC 313 Co-Main Event In Las Vegas

    A huge lightweight contest between Justin Gaethje and Dan Hooker has been confirmed for the UFC 313 co-main event on March 8.

    MMA Mania’s Alex Behunin reported on the matchup back in December, noting it had been talked about for UFC 313 on March 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

    And the fight was made official during the UFC 311 broadcast, alongside the news that Alex Pereira will defend his gold opposite Magomed Ankalaev.

    Gaethje has been out of action since his knockout loss against Max Holloway in the incredible BMF title fight that took place at UFC 300 in April. “The Highlight” has produced some instant classics against many of the division’s best and though the same can be said for Hooker, they’re somehow yet to cross paths.

    “The Hangman” recently made his return to the top of the weight class by pulling off a massive victory over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 in August. Hooker previously ruled himself out of a return for UFC 312 that takes place in February in Sydney but stated that the Gaethje fight would be his preferred option.

  • ‘Team Good Guy, Team Bad Guy’ – Daniel Cormier & Chael Sonnen Announced As Coaches For Season 33 Of The Ultimate Fighter

    ‘Team Good Guy, Team Bad Guy’ – Daniel Cormier & Chael Sonnen Announced As Coaches For Season 33 Of The Ultimate Fighter

    Quickly following the announcement that the producer of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, Craig Piligian, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, the next set of coaches for TUF were announced on the UFC 311 broadcast.

    A fourth man appeared in the commentary booth as Jon Anik revealed that Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen will go toe-to-toe on the upcoming season.

    Unlike most instalments of the show, season 33 will not build to a fight between the coaches when everything wraps up. What you are guaranteed is plenty of hi-jinx between the two men who often co-host ESPN’s Good Guy/Bad Guy show, where they comment on the biggest talking points in the sport.

    The two men briefly went back and forth on the broadcast, setting the stage for what is sure to be an entertaining series between two of the biggest personalities in the sport. Further details including the weight classes that will feature on the series are yet to be revealed.

    Both Cormier and Sonnen have been team captains in the past, with Sonnen coaching against Jon Jones back in 2013 and Cormier going up against Stipe Miocic in 2018.

    This will be the fifth consecutive year of TUF following the three-year hiatus between 2018 and 2021.

  • VIDEO: Debutant Produces Brutal Ground & Pound Knockout To Announce His Arrival At UFC 311

    VIDEO: Debutant Produces Brutal Ground & Pound Knockout To Announce His Arrival At UFC 311

    Azamat Bekoev secured the second finish of the night at UFC 311 with a highly impressive debut for the middleweight newcomer. As he spoke about in his post-fight interview, the 29-year old may have had to wait some time to get his opportunity, but when it finally arrived, he capitalized in style.

    The Russian stepped in on short notice to replace Sedriques Dumas and take on Zachary Reese, who was coming off of back-to-back wins after suffering a loss in his UFC debut. The American has proven himself to be a dangerous striker, but this didn’t end up playing into the preliminary matchup on Jan. 18.

    Bekoev got his hand raised via first-round finish having delivered some devastating ground-and-pound. After threatening with a submission attempt, Reese found himself on the bottom, where he ate several big shots from his opponent before the referee stepped in as he went out.

    With the result at UFC 311, Bekoev has now won seven fights in a row with an overall record of 19-3, and he looks to be a serious threat at 185 pounds based on the short amount of time fans have seen of him in the UFC.

    Watch the highlight reel finish from UFC 311 below:

    https://twitter.com/TakeruCigarra/status/1880801474990793177

  • Henry Cejudo Promises ‘Live Assassination’ Of Song Yadong At UFC Seattle

    Henry Cejudo Promises ‘Live Assassination’ Of Song Yadong At UFC Seattle

    Henry Cejudo is set to return for his third outing inside the Octagon since he came out of retirement to fight Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight title in 2023. The former two-weight titleholder has been unable to reclaim the top spot since he left the sport on top back in 2020 after winning six fights in a row.

    Having bean beaten by teammates in Sterling and the current champion Merab Dvalishvili, Cejudo is now set to look a few positions further down the 135-pound rankings after failing to immediately re-establish himself as a top contender. In the main event on February 22, he will face the #8-ranked Song Yadong at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.

    Yadong is also looking to bounce back from a defeat last time out but “Triple C” is incredibly confident that he will show levels in this fight. He spoke in a recent interview with Cageside Press about how he sees the matchup playing out in this pivotal moment for his career at the highest level.

    “You guys can witness a damn assassination man. You guys are going to witness a live assassination. Song Yadong you ain’t that long,” Cejudo told Cageside Press.

    Cejudo also continued to make references to his opponent’s name in what appears to be the return of his trash talking persona which we have had a significant break from in recent times. Despite this, “King Triple C” knows what is at stake for him in this fight.

    He did not return just to take part in the division but a third consecutive loss would be a big uphill battle for him at this stage in his career.

    “Song doesn’t have that long dong that you guys think he does and that he’s gonna bend the knee and everybody watching should also bend a knee to KING TRIPLE C.”

  • Rising UFC Featherweight Favors BMF Title Win Over Undisputed: ‘To Be One Of The Baddest Dudes…’

    Rising UFC Featherweight Favors BMF Title Win Over Undisputed: ‘To Be One Of The Baddest Dudes…’

    The BMF title has been a divisive subject in MMA but there’s no denying that in the three fights that it has featured in, it has produced some iconic moments and performances. One of the most exciting contenders in the featherweight division recently revealed that he wants a piece of that action over getting his hands on UFC gold.

    Steve Garcia has been proving himself to be one of the most dangerous contenders at 145-pounds with his current winning streak. Since a knockout loss to Maheshate Hayisaer at UFC 275 in 2022, he has won five consecutive fights with each victory coming by way of KO/TKO. With 14 of his 17 pro wins coming via this method, the 32-year old certainly qualifies for the category of being a victory or death kind of fighter.

    Garcia recently spoke to MMA Junkie ahead of his huge clash with the #15-ranked Edson Barboza on February 22. During the interview, he spoke about his featherweight title aspirations and why he believes that the BMF belt holds more weight to him personally because not every fighter qualifies for it just by securing wins.

    “If I would say that there’s a title I prefer to fight for, it would be the BMF title,” Garcia said. “I’ve been able to knock out a lot of these guys. There’s nothing against the undisputed title, but the undisputed title, you could literally win the undisputed title, and you can win on decisions the whole entire time.

    “You could win on submissions the whole entire time. You can be great and do knockouts and stuff like that, too, but I think the BMF title, the meaning says it all. To be one of the baddest dudes to step into a cage, throw in my words, chingassos. You’re going for it.”

    Having changed hands three times, the BMF title currently belongs to Max Holloway who was stopped by Ilia Topuria in the main event of UFC 308. Whilst Garcia doesn’t expect to be put in there with “Blessed” anytime soon, he’s prepared to keep doing what he does best in order to work his way there.

    “I would love a fight with Max,” Garcia said. “I’m such a huge fan of him, but my goodness, if you want to watch something that can go off, I think that would be a good fight. I guess I’ve got to keep knocking people out and prove people what I’m able to do to maybe have that opportunity or that shot. I think about the BMF title more than I think about the undisputed title to be honest.”

  • Patrício Pitbull Sends Stern Warning To Former Employer After ‘Lies’ About PFL Release: ‘Do Not Go This Route’

    Patrício Pitbull Sends Stern Warning To Former Employer After ‘Lies’ About PFL Release: ‘Do Not Go This Route’

    Via his recent live fan Q&A with MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, PFL founder Donn Davis spoke more in detail about the current situation regarding Patrício Pitbull. The Bellator legend was recently granted his release from the promotion after being outspoken over the past several weeks about wanting to leave so that he could fight elsewhere.

    Pitbull had said that he wasn’t being offered fights and had reached a point where he had already made up his mind about fighting for another promotion, with one specific destination in mind. Davis argued against this during the Town Hall interview where he gave more context from the PFL’s point of view.

    Davis said that the reason this had been going on for several weeks is because the promotion was trying to keep Pitbull with them by making a deal work. He said that they also tried to get the Bellator featherweight champion to fight the only bout left on his contract before leaving, with a huge clash against Aaron Pico being the option that they were heading in.

    Pitbull quickly posted a response on X where he claimed that both of these points aren’t a fair reflection of the communications between the two parties.

    “Hi @DonnDavisPFL, let’s keep things true all the way. You never oficially offered me the fight with Pico, and I never said no. Pete told my management that Pico was the number 1 choice but he might be hitting free agency and if so you’d find someone else. Also…

    “You never said ‘fight for us this one time and we will let you go’. You said my 15 years in Bellator provided value for them and now you wanted me to provide value for PFL. And Pete said you’d exercise every legal right you guys had to prevent me from going to the competition.”

    Pitbull added one more message to the statement, stating that he will continue to dispute any claims that he believes aren’t factual. The 37-year old said that he doesn’t want to have to continue talking negatively about the promotion but he will if the truth isn’t being put out there.

    “I had all the intention of leaving everything behind and not talking about it anymore, but if I see any lies about me out there I won’t stay silent. As I said on our last conversation @DonnDavisPFL I hope @PFLMMA improves and can succeed, so do not go this route.”

  • UFC 311’s Kevin Holland Doesn’t Want To Become Champion Due To The ‘Politics’ Of It

    UFC 311’s Kevin Holland Doesn’t Want To Become Champion Due To The ‘Politics’ Of It

    UFC middleweight Kevin Holland is one of the most unique fighters on the promotion’s roster. We have certainly seen competitors come and go in the past who were company men to the highest degree, willing to step in and fight every weekend of the year if their bodies, and the athletic commissions allowed it, but the middleweight contender is different.

    He has received some criticism in the past for being overly relaxed in fights and not taking things serious enough with the debate that if he really focused on being the best version of himself that he can possibly be, he could achieve more. Ultimately, Holland just wants to fight as much as possible in order to make as much money as possible.

    Whether its his record-tying year in 2020 where he produced five wins inside the Octagon or his attitude to losing, it has always been clear that “Trailblazer” isn’t someone who is focused on one big finish line that he is pursuing. He recently spoke about this ahead of his return at UFC 311 this Saturday night where he takes on Reinier de Ridder.

    Unlike someone like his opponent who wants to continue working his way up the middleweight ladder in order to compete at the very top of the sport, Holland is a prize fighter at heart and though the UFC title is a big shiny goal to strive for, he isn’t overly concerned with adding a belt to his trophy cabinet. In fact, he’s more motivated to break the promotion’s record for most fights which is currently held by the still active Jim Miller.

    The 32-year old recently told ESPN that even if he did find himself in position for a shot at the title, he doesn’t know whether he would take it because it could interfere with his plans and cause him complications.

    “There are too many politics that come with being a world champion,” he said. “I don’t need it. I never came to the UFC to fight for a world title. I came to get paid. I’ve talked to fighters who are world champions and ones who aren’t. I found out what some were making and how often they were competing. I wouldn’t make that much more fighting as a world champion, and I’d have to fight less often than I do now. It doesn’t make financial sense to me.”

  • Israel Adesanya On How Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan Will Play Out At UFC 311: ‘Going To Be WrestleMania’

    Israel Adesanya On How Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan Will Play Out At UFC 311: ‘Going To Be WrestleMania’

    Israel Adesanya believes that fight fans are in for a grappling-heavy main event this weekend at UFC 311. At the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, lightweight champion Islam Makhachev will face top contender Arman Tsarukyan in a rematch of their first encounter in 2019.

    With Tsarukyan making his UFC debut in their previous meeting, what surprised so many fans is that he was able to compete with Makhachev in the grappling exchanges which very few have been able to do even if he wasn’t able to secure the win. Both men do their best work on the ground but the biggest difference heading into their second bout is the significant improvements that they have made on the feet over the past few years.

    The challenger has shown that he is a dangerous striker with a wide kicking arsenal in particular which allows him to control the range and keep opponents guessing. His knockout over Beneil Dariush showed that he is able to get the job done without needing to get hold of his opponent to drag them to the canvas.

    Makhachev, on the other hand, has a simple but effective style which has led to him having a lot of success with his boxing, particularly in his last fight against Dustin Poirier where he won a lot of the exchanges against “The Diamond”.

    When breaking the fight down on his YouTube channel, the former two-time middleweight champion acknowledged how both of them have evolved into well-rounded mixed martial artists though it still seems likely that they will look test each others grappling once again. “The Last Stylebender” thinks that regardless of the fact that both men are confident strikers, they will revert to type in this matchup.

    “His striking is looking way more comfortable lately, way more polished. Arman as well… He’s got nice kicks, good hands, very explosive. But yeah, it’s gonna be a wrestling fight. It’s gonna be WrestleMania.”

  • Kevin Holland Makes Admission About Past UFC Loss: ‘I Was High As A Kite…’

    Kevin Holland Makes Admission About Past UFC Loss: ‘I Was High As A Kite…’

    Kevin Holland has received criticism in the past for being too relaxed and not focused enough in some big fights. This was particularly a talking point following two back-to-back losses that he suffered in consecutive months back in 2021.

    2020 was a massive year for “Trailblazer” who despite the limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic, was able to tie the record for the most UFC wins in a calendar year with five. This earned him his first main event against Derek Brunson and shortly after a one-sided defeat, he jumped right into another five-round spotlight and was beaten by Marvin Vettori after replacing Darren Till.

    Ahead of his return at UFC 311 this Saturday, Holland appeared on Demetrious Johnson’s MightyCast where he spoke about his weed-smoking habits and how he is able to compete at a high level despite this. Holland certainly isn’t the only UFC fighter who has to be careful depending on the rules of the athletic commissions due to his daily routines.

    He told Johnson about how he looked to change his regular patterns ahead of his fight with Brunson because he had some anxiety regarding how his smoking could affect his performance. After losing that fight, he went back on the adjustments, telling “Mighty Mouse” that having accepted the Vettori fight on just nine days notice, it made sense to continue smoking throughout fight week.

    “The Marvin Vettori fight, I was high as a kite,” Holland said. “Not during the fight, but all week, I was high as a kite. Five rounds didn’t feel like shit that time. The Derek Brunson fight, I was all worried, I was like, damn bro, I’m not going to smoke that much because I have five rounds, so I don’t want to be f*cking with my lungs. First time doing five rounds in a UFC fight, it could go that long, he wants to wrestle and stuff, so I was like, I’m not going to do that. Then I was like, I stressed myself out for no reason, I still lost the f*cking fight.

    “So then after the next one, I was like, I’m just going to smoke. So they gave me Marvin Vettori at the last second, I was partying and everything. I didn’t feel any different. The pace got to be pushed, a lot of times when you’ve got five rounds, they don’t push the pace, I don’t push the pace, we’re just chilling.”

  • Patrício Pitbull Outlines Three-Opponent Wish List For UFC Debut After PFL Release

    Patrício Pitbull Outlines Three-Opponent Wish List For UFC Debut After PFL Release

    Patrício Pitbull has been one of the top fighters in the featherweight division throughout his career. If there’s one thing that has held back the Bellator icon and record holder in the promotion it is that he hasn’t had the opportunity to face the best fighters in the UFC.

    That could change in the near future following the news that after voicing his complaints, the 37-year old has been granted a release from his PFL contract following a breakdown in communication between the two parties. Pitbull also said at this time that he hopes to sign with the UFC if the PFL let him go so that he could step inside the Octagon before retiring.

    Similarly to what we have seen in the past when other Bellator stars like Michael Chandler and Michael “Venom” Page made the jump over, it would make sense for the former two-weight champion to skip the line to some degree rather than debuting on the Fight Pass prelims. He already has the high-level experienced needed and with the clock running down on his career, it’s now or never to see him in the big fights that would make his signing worthwhile.

    With that in mind, Pitbull is targeting the very top of the UFC’s featherweight division. Right at the top of the 145-pound pile are the current superstar champion, the legendary former titleholder and one of the division’s most exciting rising talents who has become a huge fan favorite in recent years.

    He has already posted on X to specifically mention the name of Alexander Volkanovski but after appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show, he added two more names to his planned hitlist for a potential UFC debut.

  • Reinier de Ridder Breaks Down How He’ll Choke Out Kevin Holland At UFC 311

    Reinier de Ridder Breaks Down How He’ll Choke Out Kevin Holland At UFC 311

    Reinier de Ridder arrived in the UFC last year as a true specialist in mixed martial arts. Despite coming from a part of the world that is known for its kickboxing prowess, the Dutch competitor is a jiu-jitsu mastermind.

    The former two-division titleholder in ONE Championship has produced 13 submission victories out of 18 total pro wins. With a variety of techniques under his belt, including an inverted triangle choke, “The Dutch Knight” is a serious threat once the fight hits the floor.

    He was able to showcase this in his UFC debut in November where in the third round, he tapped out the holder of the most submissions in UFC middleweight history (tied third-most overall) when he caught Gerald Meerschaert in an arm triangle choke. In his next outing inside the Octagon, de Ridder faces Kevin Holland at UFC 311 this weekend.

    Holland also has an impressive submission record with nine of his 26 wins coming via this method but there’s no denying that he does his best work whilst the fight stays standing. Having been submitted twice during his UFC tenure, this is exactly the method of victory that his opponent is aiming for at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

    De Ridder spoke during his media day interview about how he sees the fight going and what he will do in order to get his hand raised by adding another sub to his record.

    “I’m going to try and pressure him, hit him with some good shots, take him down, choke him out,” de Ridder said Wednesday at a media day for UFC 311. “I see myself putting the pressure on. I think the first minute is going to be very wild, very spectacular. He’s going to be trying to get away from me throwing wild stuff, wild kicks, wild punches.

    “I’m going to be pressuring him, hopefully getting him a couple times with some kicks, get him against the cage, get him down, get to his back and choke him out as soon as possible.”

  • Dana White’s Latest Update On Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall Is A Promising One

    Dana White’s Latest Update On Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall Is A Promising One

    Right at the top of every fight fans’ wish list for 2025 is the potential for a heavyweight title unification clash in the UFC. Jon Jones might be considered by many to be the greatest to ever do it but some still question whether he is the best in his current division.

    Interim champion Tom Aspinall has a claim to be the best heavyweight in the world right now and his speed, power and age makes him such an interesting challenge for Jones to take on. The excitement around seeing them meet inside the Octagon has only increased following the comments that have been exchanged between them, specifically on the side of the heavyweight champion who hasn’t been overly interested in the fight.

    Fortunately, Dana White is and though Jones has proven to be a stubborn negotiator in the past, the UFC clearly wants to make it happen and that’s a step in the right direction. With Aspinall saying that he has already agreed to everything on his side, there appears to be plans in motion.

    White gave the same impression during a recent interview with Jim Rome where he spoke about the fight and his expectations of seeing it take place.

    “We’re in the works, we’re talking on it. I mean, I’ve said that I’m very confident that fight happens this year.”

    Without having a look behind the scenes, many will assume given the narrative surrounding the fight that getting Jones to sign on the dotted line will be the biggest hurdle. White said that despite this, he doesn’t believe there is a substantial barrier stopping this deal from getting across the line.

    “Nothing. Nothing’s holding it up. It’s just a matter of getting it done. You know, this stuff, it’s not as easy to put these type of fights together as people think they are. They take time and we’ll get it done.”

    (White appears on the show and talks about the fight at around the 2:37:00 mark)

  • ‘The End Of An Era’ – Fans React As 37-Fight UFC Veteran Seemingly Removed From The Roster After 18 Years

    ‘The End Of An Era’ – Fans React As 37-Fight UFC Veteran Seemingly Removed From The Roster After 18 Years

    The UFC roster tracker accounts on social media have recently claimed that a staple of the promotion has departed after 18 years of competing inside the Octagon. Clay Guida made his UFC debut all the way back in 2006 where he submitted Justin James at UFC 64: Unstoppable.

    Guida had previously competed in Strikeforce, where he defeated Josh Thomson to become the lightweight champion before dropping the title to Gilbert Melendez, and the WEC but it wasn’t until he arrived inside the Octagon until he truly felt home. Guida has accumulated 37 fights under the UFC banner with an overall record of 18-19 in the promotion.

    “The Carpenter” holds the record for the most losses in the UFC history, along with other key statistics like the fourth most fights, fourth most takedowns, fifth most total fight time and second most control time. He’s also a member of the UFC Hall of Fame after his iconic bout with Diego Sanchez from 2009 was inducted into the fighg win in 2019.

    Though he has alternated wins and losses for many years, the 43-year old is currently coming off of three consecutive losses to Rafa Garcia, Joaquim Silva and Chase Hooper. After being submitted by Hooper in the first round at UFC 310 last month, Dana White called for him to retire alongside the likes of Chris Weidman and Anthony Smith who also suffered significant defeats on the same night.

    Fight fans reacted to the reports of Guida’s departure via social media:

    “The end of an era”

    “This is sad. I grew up watching him fight when our TV’s were still big boxes, I was probably about 11 years old. Clay lives locally to me and you’ll actually see him at the local bars quite frequently, I’ve met him quite a few times and he’s a cool ass dude.”

    “How they do him like that get the retirement video out NOW”

    “It’s time , enthusiasm isn’t the complete deal. Thanks for the great memories.”

    “Still today, if you want to introduce a new fan to UFC/MMA, Guida vs Sanchez is a goto. You are a legend @clayguida“

    “He deserved a big send off. Thanks for the memories Clay”

  • Jiří Procházka On Doubt Over His Chances Of Another UFC Title Win: ‘You Don’t Believe Right Now, But I Believe’

    Jiří Procházka On Doubt Over His Chances Of Another UFC Title Win: ‘You Don’t Believe Right Now, But I Believe’

    The former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiří Procházka is confident that he can get back to winning ways and lift 205-pound gold once again ahead of his return at UFC 311. When “BJP” first arrived in the UFC, he was a breath of fresh air in the division.

    With three consecutive wins and finishes, the former RIZIN fighter climbed to the very top but since his incredible back-and-forth battle with Glover Teixeira in 2022, things haven’t been going to plan for the Czech enigma. Since vacating the title due to a substantial injury, he has lost two fights to the current champion, Alex Pereira.

    Though he did rebound from his first defeat at the hands of “Poatan” with a win over Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 300 last April, that was a tough fight for him and it led to another devastating display from Pereira at UFC 303 in June. Whilst his recent run may have led to some fans losing faith in his ability to reach the same heights of that night in Singapore for UFC 275, Procházka is unsurprisingly undeterred.

    His mindset has always been one of his strongest attributes and he believes that this weekend at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles will begin a new chapter for him in his career. Before he takes on former champion Jamahal Hill in a fight with huge stakes attached for both men, he made it crystal clear in an interview with SiriusXM that whilst everything hasn’t gone his way as of late, he’s ready to start turning it around.

    ‘You don’t believe me right now but I believe. I believe that I made a change in myself. Necessary big change that right now my style and myself, I’m prepared for the title, against whoever. Against Ankalaev, against Pereira.”

  • Chael Sonnen Doesn’t Hold Back In Criticism Of Mackenzie Dern: ‘So Unaware Of The Sport…’

    Chael Sonnen Doesn’t Hold Back In Criticism Of Mackenzie Dern: ‘So Unaware Of The Sport…’

    Chael Sonnen often finds it frustrating when fighters do not capitalize on the moment by making the most out of their time in the spotlight. As one of the greatest talkers in the history of the sport, “The Bad Guy” was recently critical of one athlete in particular for this side of their personality and public persona.

    Mackenzie Dern came out on top in the first UFC main event of 2025 when she avenged her loss to Amanda Ribas this past weekend. It was an important win for the #6-ranked contender who, with an armbar in the third round, became the first person to submit Brazil’s Ribas in her pro career.

    When she was handed the floor in her post-fight interview, Dern spoke about wanting to add to her submission record as she shared the cage with her young daughter. When the conversation turned to what target she is pursuing next, the 31-year old said that her main focus is on building momentum by getting another win under her belt and whilst she would prefer to fight an opponent that is ranked higher than her, she admitted that this might not be possible because she has faced many of the top names in the division in the past.

    On a recent episode of ESPN MMA’s Good Guy/Bad Guy alongside Daniel Cormier, Sonnen was fairly negative towards the submission specialist for not placing more emphasis on the entertainment side of the sport by being more assertive.

    “I could not go back over Mackenzie’s career and hand her one compliment on anything she’s done from an entertainment aspect,” Sonnen said. “I couldn’t tell you one time she had a microphone in her hand and turned it into a pipe bomb. I could not tell you one opportunity that she pushed everybody else aside and came and got it for herself.”

    Sonnen believes that whilst she does appear to win fans over, Dern doesn’t do anything intentionally to drive her own stock which he finds baffling.

    “I’ve never seen Mackenzie get it right. Everyone likes her, myself included, everyone seems to be rooting for her for reasons I really can’t explain to you, myself included.

    “She looks like she does really care about this sport. She talks about some of her hardships and things outside the ring which do compel you very much to her, but as far as understanding what makes dollars has got to make sense, she doesn’t know what any of those words mean. I’ve never seen a second-generation athlete so unaware of the sport that’s going on around them.”

  • Patricio Pitbull Sets Sights On Former UFC Featherweight Champion Following Long-Awaited PFL Release

    Patricio Pitbull Sets Sights On Former UFC Featherweight Champion Following Long-Awaited PFL Release

    Patrício Pitbull is now officially a free agent after being granted his release from the PFL. The Bellator featherweight champion has been very vocal about wanting to leave the promotion in recent months after a breakdown in communications with the promotion and he has finally been granted his wish.

    The Brazilian is a legend of the Bellator promotion but with that brand now officially dead, he realizes that he doesn’t have long left to tick off some bucket list items in his career. At 37-years old, he has recently spoken about dreaming of getting to fight in the UFC before he hangs up the gloves for good.

    As a 30-fight veteran in Bellator with the most fights, wins and finishes in the history of the promotion, it didn’t ever look like we would see him step inside the Octagon but that is quite clearly the destination which he hopes to arrive at in the coming days, weeks or months. In fact, shortly after PFL founder Donn Davis announced the news that Pitbull would be parting ways with the promotion, the Brazilian had already set his sights on a potential opponent.

    It appears that whilst he has spent a lot of time talking about a move to lightweight coming sooner rather than later, UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria will face former champ Alexander Volkanovski in a rematch which he agreed to after being joined in the cage by “The Great” following his win over Max Holloway last October. Given the fact that Pitbull is towards the end of his career, it makes sense for him to jump in at the deep end against the best 145-pounders that the UFC has to offer.

    If the rematch doesn’t take place in the near future for whatever reason, Pitbull would like to share the cage with Volkanovski in a dream fight that no one would have seen coming several years ago.

  • Eric Nicksick Slams ‘Egomaniac’ Ref Who Stopped Chris Curtis Fight: ‘That Was Some B*tch Sh*t!’ 

    Eric Nicksick Slams ‘Egomaniac’ Ref Who Stopped Chris Curtis Fight: ‘That Was Some B*tch Sh*t!’ 

    Eric Nicksick was not happy with a call that was made in relation to one of his fighters at the first UFC event of the year. This past weekend at the Apex, Roman Kopylov and Chris Curtis earned the first fight of the night bonus of 2025 for their middleweight clash.

    In the final seconds of the back-and-forth battle, Kopylov took Curtis off his feet with a head kick which referee Mark Smith deemed was the end of the fight. He stepped into wave the fight off with just one second left on the clock and his decision was instantly scrutinized by both Curtis and his Xtreme Couture corner.

    Whilst his opponent believes that it was the right call to make, the argument in favor of Curtis is that with the final bell about to sound and his opponent backing off rather than pursuing his opponent, “The Action Man” was in no sense of danger whatsoever. On a recent episode of his Verse Us podcast, Nicksick spoke about how he was frustrated with the referee long before the stoppage for not punishing several fouls which slowed the fight down.

    ”That’s what I’m pissed off about. You never get three timeouts in a f—king fight. So, number one, he spit his mouthpiece out. That wasn’t too bad. All right. Groin strike… Then the eye poke, and I calmly said to Mark, ‘Hey, that is two infractions in a row in this round. Where’s the point?”

    Nicksick went on to talk specifically about the stoppage and goes further than that by talking about Smith’s personality and his issues with the prominent official.

    ”You [Smith] decided to stop the fight with one second left… Let the motherfu*ker go out on his shield bro. That was some b*tch sh*t, you didn’t have to stop the fight on that moment… He fraternizes with other gyms, teams, fighters, coaches and everything else… I think he’s an egomaniac. I mean, I’ve never heard a ref ask people to vote for him for the ‘MMA Ref of the Year.” 

    Nicksick also posted the following statement on Instagram, addressing his reaction to the stoppage and apologizing for his actions.

  • PFL Founder Reveals New ‘World Tournament’ After Scrapping Season Format

    PFL Founder Reveals New ‘World Tournament’ After Scrapping Season Format

    The PFL season format is no more following some big changes that the promotion has made before hosting their first event of the year in 2025. For a long time, the promotion’s primary focus and unique selling point has been the World Championship tournaments that take place each year with a $1 million cheque waiting at the end for the winners of each weight class.

    Whilst the points-based system was certainly different, it also had its issues and fans didn’t seem to connect with it. Along with reports that the prize money for the winner would be cut in half to $500,000, there was also talk of the tournament format changing significantly.

    The announcement that divisional PFL titles will be created and defended at the PFL Champions Series events means that participating in and winning the tournaments is no longer the ultimate prize in the promotion.

    PFL founder Donn Davis posted on X to give fans a look at the new “PFL World Tournament” that will take place in 2025 across eight weight classes. Rather than trying to bring something new to the sport like in the past, this will see the promotion revert to a more conventional Grand Prix style tournament with eight fighters competing in a single elimination bracket in order to crown winners at women’s flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight.

    The graphic posted by Davis also lists the dates that three stages of the tournament will take place on, as seen below:

    First round: April 3, April 11, April 18, May 1

    Semifinal: June 12, June 20, June 27

    Finals: August 1, August 15, August 21

    Along with the way that fighters progress through the tournament and the prize waiting at the end, there are a few other key changes here from the way that the PFL have things done in the past. For a start, all of the final matchups will not take place on the same night as has been the case for the season format.

    Whilst that gives the promotion one big event to build towards throughout the year, it also creates a card that features six five-round title fights which can make for a long and tiring viewing experience. This new world tournament will also feature two new divisions which haven’t previously been a part of the PFL’s seasons with bantamweight and middleweight being added into the mix.

    When the promotion acquired Bellator towards the end of 2023, it was unclear how they were going to cater for Bellator titleholders like Patchy Mix and Johnny Eblen when the promotion didn’t have active 135 or 185-pound divisions at the time. It remains unclear at this time what will happen to those titleholders and how the new PFL champions will be crowned.